


Shades of gold

by KUPOXV



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst, Eventual Smut, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Kinda, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Tagged explicit for a reason later, merman au, merman prompto
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-03
Updated: 2017-08-27
Packaged: 2018-11-08 15:12:09
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,788
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11084226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KUPOXV/pseuds/KUPOXV
Summary: Noctis gets a student job for the summer at the unfamous aquarium of Insomnia where he'll have to take care of a very special kind of fish.(aka merman!prompto au because we all need this)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> /!\ PLEASE READ /!\
> 
> Okay guys, here's a little surprise for you and I have a few important things to add too.  
> I've been craving to write a merman!prompto au and had this idea in my mind for a while now. After a talk with prompto-cam who got all excited with me and told me she'd be my beta, I decided to write sooner than I expected! (I was still planning to spoil you with another merman au but I wanted to finish Lost in Blue first... Well nop, seems like I love having tons of works!)
> 
> Now I also want to add the bad news: I decided to delete two of my current fanfics. You're Mine and The world against us.  
> The first one because it didn't take the turn I wanted it to and now I'm kinda stuck with no more ideas to continue, and the other one because it didn't get anyone's interest and, therefor, I've lost my motivation for it. I'll delete both at the end of june.  
> Instead, after I'm done with one of my -now- current 3 fics, I have another idea with a real dark/villain!Noctis x Prompto au, for later.
> 
> For now, I'll be focusing in priority on Lost in Blue, Tell me I'm real and this new baby. 
> 
> Hope you guys like this first chapter and will be hyped for the next one!
> 
> PS: Goldfish one is how I picture his design ;) (https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/a8/d7/dd/a8d7dd6702c4e6dedba35666abd82d13.jpg)
> 
> (beta + a lot of ideas : prompto-cam <3)

It doesn't take too long for Noctis to find a job for this summer. If being a prince is often a burden to him, it also has many advantages. Like his undeniable popularity, even if he'll never understand why people are so obsessed with seeing him or taking pictures of him. Despite his empty resume, no experience in any kind of job, and his terrible motivation letter even with Ignis' help, he received dozens of calls from almost all the places he had applied for and even from a few he doesn't remember contacting. Restaurant owners, movie theaters, all knowing that they'll have tons of customers coming only to be able to see the prince.

 

He can pick whatever he wants now, but the more he thinks about all of the choices he has, the less excited about anything he is.

 

"How about the aquarium?" Ignis proposed while they both stared at the list of places willing to have an interview with him, both knowing that it'll result with him being accepted anyway. "You'll be able to learn a lot of interesting things, maybe tips for fishing, and I'm pretty sure they have air con inside the place. You won't suffer too much from the heat."

 

Noctis nods slowly, lost in his thoughts. It sounds like a good idea and it's the only place that really caught his attention until now. Summer officially started a few days ago but the temperatures are almost unbearable. If it wasn't for Ignis or Gladio bursting into his room whenever he doesn't expect it, he would spend most of his days lying naked on his bed. Or in the swimming pool.

 

“Doesn't sound bad. Better than being a delivery guy or a waiter.” If he's lucky, they'll give him a job where he can avoid all the curious ones coming to see him. He wouldn't have to deal with crowds surrounding him, and wouldn't have to put on a fake smile like he had to with all those giggling girls at the sushi restaurant he worked for last year. Plus, he's sure his father will be happy with his choice. And since he loves fishing, it'll be perfect for him.

 

"Indeed. And I'm sure you'll have plenty of free time to study too."

 

ERG, Ignis.

 

 

 

The next day, Gladio has him wake up early in the morning to go to his job interview. Surprisingly, it doesn't take too long for him to be up, he's feeling sticky and is craving for a cold shower. It's brief, but still a great relief when fresh water hits his skin. He chooses to put on some casual clothes to go to his interview, black jeans – even if he knows he'll regret it soon – and a tank top.

 

An hour later, he's sitting in front of the aquarium's director. An old man dressed in a dark blue suit, his short hair as white as snow. He'd seem nice, if only Noctis didn't have a strange feeling about him. But now that he's here and that he decided to get the job, he isn't turning back.

The director doesn't complain about Noctis' lack of experience, simply shrugging with a warm smile. And so the prince continues, mentioning that fishing is his hobby since he was seven with his father introducing him to it. Honestly, they're both putting on a show, Noctis knows he's getting the job anyway, but he still pretends. He goes on, adding that he knows many type of fish, what they eat or where you can find them.

 

“Actually, there's a special job that I'd like to assign to you, prince Noctis.”

 

The raven-haired boy slightly tilts his head on the side, curious to know. The older man crosses his arms, light brown eyes showing hesitation.

 

“We have a... new specimen arriving tomorrow, a very special one. I believe it'd be better if only one person takes care of this one to earn its trust. You'd be responsible for it, you'd have to feed it, clean its tank and a few other things.”

 

Noctis raises an eyebrow, doubtful. Only a few fish are left alone in an aquarium. And that's because they're either big, dangerous, or both. “What kind of fish is it?”

 

“You'll see it tomorrow. Of course, you'll be free to refuse if you're not willing to work with it. We'll take you as a guide instead.”

 

A guide. Erg, it'd be the worst. But he isn't going to risk his life just to work here. He can still leave and go for another job, he's got plenty waiting for him.

 

“Fine, let me see it tomorrow first then.”

 

The director smiles, satisfied, and stands up to shake hand with the prince. “Then, I'll see you tomorrow at 4pm. It'll be delivered around that time. You can spend a few hours with it, and I'll let you decide then.”

 

 

 

 

It was almost impossible for him to fall asleep. Not only because the night has been really hot and there's no air con in his room, but he didn't stop wondering what kind of fish he's going to meet today and why the director was so vague about its nature. Of course, he wouldn't propose him a dangerous job where he'd risk his life. Ignis suggested that it might be a very sensible specimen, the same when some animals only have one person they obey. His advisor mentioned the fact that if Noctis accepts this job and creates a strong bond with it, he may have to keep working at the aquarium longer than just summer time.

Noctis doesn't know what to think about it. It sounds like it could become a burden for him, but he always liked things related to the sea, and it could be nice to have a real friend, someone who doesn't befriend him just because he's the prince, even if it's a fish. At least, he won't have to make big conversation.

 

He takes his own car, a smaller version of his father's Regalia, to go to the aquarium and parks it inside the private parking, reserved for employees. The director's already here, looking more pleased than ever to see that the prince didn't change his mind when he sees him. He walks toward him, a wide smile on his face.

 

“Prince Noctis, I'm glad you came ! The specimen is already here, our staff are preparing it to get inside the tank right now. Follow me.”

 

They walk through corridors for a moment, and Noctis realizes how huge the place is, with the tank of the newcomer at the end of it as the last attraction. The last room is dark, and big. The tank is incrusted into the walls, made of consolidated glass, filled with water and all different types of sea plants to make it look like “home” for the specimen, he guesses. There are plenty of algae's, almost too much in his opinion (but who is he to know what's best for a big fish?), with other kind of colorful vegetation that he didn't know existed until now. He takes a look at the entire structure and notices that it's not as impressive as he expected. The walls are ten meters tall but the water is only reaching to five, and maybe forty meters large in total. But the width is almost ridiculous, especially with all the plants and a huge rock in the middle of it taking a lot of space, half of it coming out of the water and creating a flat surface to be on. Maybe this kind of fish likes to lie on the concrete to rest, or it could be for Noctis to use when he has to feed him, since he notices a ladder on the wall nearby.

 

There's no real way to hide inside it, but it's not like a fish cares about privacy though. He's just glad he isn't the one who's going to live forever inside this restricted space. And at least now, he knows he isn't going to deal with something huge. There's no way they can put a shark inside this, it's too small.

 

Noctis relaxes a little and crosses his arms, waiting. It's obviously not here yet and he hopes they won't have to wait for too long. The director senses his impatience and points a finger at the ceiling inside the huge fish tank, it's opened.

 

“It'll be coming down from here anytime soon, don't worry.”

 

Noctis nods and tries to hide his excitement the best he can.

 

“You'll be very surprised.” The older man says, staring at him.

 

The prince snorts. He's probably seen more than this man when it comes to weird things. Fighting daemons outside the protective walls of Insomnia while on a road trip with Gladio and Ignis got him prepared for anything. And he doubts that they can find something more unsettling than those damn ugly Magitek troopers.

 

They hear a scream coming from above them and look up, then a man is shouting orders.

 

“Be careful with the tail! Don't hold it like this!”

 

Before they can make out what's happening and decide if they should go check on them, something falls into the water. The only thing Noctis can picture at first, is a flash of bright orange and gold. But as soon as all the bubbles created by the fall are all gone, the prince's eyes widen.

It only lasts for a few seconds. Panicked blue eyes looking around, stopping on him, then spotting a large bush of dark vegetation and it's gone inside it, out of sight. A long, slim tail propelling the body it is attached to at an incredibly fast pace and Noctis doesn't have the time to blink. He can't see it anymore.

He stays dumbfounded for a moment, mouth agape and wide eyes staring at the hiding spot where the “new specimen” is tightly curled around itself, trying to be as small as possible.

 

“What... What the fuck is that?”

 

The older man chuckles next to him and invites him to walk closer toward the glass separating them from the strange creature. “I'm happy to introduce you to this wonder, they're called merpeople, or mers.”

 

Noctis' brows furrows. He knows what they are, he just didn't think they were real. “I thought they only existed in fairytales.”

 

“And so did everyone else, until the Empire found a dead one a few months ago. They decided to search for more of them and managed to find a nest.” He gestures toward the mer's hiding spot. “The one you just saw, is a present from the Empire to the Kingdom of Lucis.”

 

Noctis doesn't like this idea. Sure, things have been getting better between their countries, but they were still deathly enemies less than two years ago. The fact that his father allowed anything alive coming from Niflheim inside Insomnia is weird. He could've told him. He takes a deep breath.

 

“So... You want me to befriend him, feed him and clean his tank. Are you sure he isn't dangerous?”

 

The old man shakes his head and clicks his tongue. “It isn't at all. The Empire confirmed that they're quite peaceful creatures and only enjoy the taste of fish and some kind of algae's, even fruits sometimes. This one here has always been docile, you'll be fine.” He pauses, “I'd recommend you not to use 'He' or 'Him' when you talk about it. Anthropomorphism toward them would be a terrible idea, their IQ is barely higher than a dog's.”

 

Noctis stares at him in silence. Telling himself that if he wants to call a fish 'he', he's still going to do it. After all, he uses those pronouns for Umbra and Pryna as well.

 

“They can learn a few tricks, we can teach them to do something specific when asked to, but they're in no way our equals. The Empire sent us very detailed reports about tests they ran on them.”

 

“I see.” Noctis nods, even if he doesn't trust what the Empire says. He'll have to see by himself when he's alone with the mer. The director hands him a cardboard sleeve he's been holding since he saw him.

 

“Here are all the information you need to know about it and a spare key to the staff member's exit. You can stay as long as you want and give me your decision tomorrow.”

 

And with that, he leaves him alone. Noctis takes the documents, stares at them for a moment before sitting on the floor and starting to read after he sent a message to Ignis, telling him that he'll come back late.

 

A mix of both fascination and disappointment overwhelm him the more he reads. He'd expect real merpeople to be... Different? Not physically, though. The little he saw from the one still hiding corresponds to what he thought they looked like. But he'd think they were delicate, smart people living under the sea. He doesn't know why he liked to imagine merpeople to be into art like music or singing, but what he reads describes them as being, well... Almost as dumb as the most naïve dog.

 

Still... Those documents come from the Empire, he doesn't want to trust everything written here. He sighs and starts another page mentioning their sexuality, frowning when he sees there aren't only males and females, but also a mix of both that the Nifs mention as “flawed ones”. The flawed ones are referred to as males, except that they're able to lay eggs just like females and only have interests in other males. Sadly, other males tend to reject them most of the time.

 

“And I bet you're one of them.” He says, his words meant for the one he saw less than thirty minutes ago. What's his name anyway? He hopes he was given one, because he sure sucks at giving names to anyone.

 

He finds his name in the last file, with a detailed description. Prompto. A blond haired merman, estimated to be around eighteen years old human age. A “flawed one”, of course. Noctis smirks at this, the Empire gave them the defective one, why isn't he surprised? There are a lot more information to read, but he decides to put them aside, he'll read them when he's back at the palace. For now, he wants to try and see the so-called 'flawed merman'.

He stands up, and walks close toward the tank until his own breath creates steam on the glass. He's only to spot a pair of curious blue eyes looking at him amongst the darkness of the vegetation. Noctis smiles and gestures slowly for him to approach.

 

“Come here, Prompto. Nothing bad is going to happen.”

He does his best to sound as gentle as possible, even if he doesn't like to fake in general. But if he wants to earn a scared merman's trust, he'll probably have to.

 

He stays there for a solid forty minutes, feeling awkward whenever he speaks to the other male. Wondering if he can hear him, or even see him correctly. He doesn't lose his smile, and he keeps reassuring him for a long time before he runs out of patience.

 

He doesn't want to spend his entire night here, stupidly looking at this bush. If he doesn't want to show up, there's no point. After a moment, Noctis sighs and turns around to gather the papers.

 

“I got it, you'll probably get along with someone else.”

 

Why did he think that something coming directly from the most exciting fairytales from his childhood, would want to befriend him? He shoves the files back inside the cardboard sleeve, takes the employee's keys and checks the time on his phone. Good, he just wasted two hours of his life.

 

He's about to leave when he senses movement behind him and turns to see the young merman came out of his hiding spot. There's still half of his tail swallowed by the plants, and Prompto marks some hesitation when his eyes lock with Noctis', holding his arms close to his chest, the fins on his head flat against it make him look like a frightened kitten, but he doesn't move.

 

Noctis bites his lips and slowly comes back to where he stood before, putting a hand on the transparent glass. Astrals, the merman's absolutely stunning, the features of his face a mix of innocence, curiosity and fear.

 

It only takes a few seconds for Prompto to decide that it's safe for him to swim closer, stopping right in front of the prince whose heart starts hammering in his chest, finally able to see what the other really looks like.

 

The first thing he notices are the freckles decorating his skin in various places, especially on his cheeks. Light blonde hair dancing with the movement of the water. Noctis feels embarrassed when he thinks he's attractive, he would've definitely had a crush for him, if he was human.

 

Prompto visibly relaxes, his tail isn't curled in some kind of 'ready-to-fly' mechanism that would allow him to propel himself out of reach, and Noctis can take a better look at it. The scales are mainly a bright orange with reflection of gold every time he flicks it, the palm looks slightly paler, smooth, and he's sure that it would feel like silk under his fingers. Multiple transparent orange fins are attached to his hips like veils, the lower body of the merman reminds him of a goldfish. He can also see gills on each side of his ribs. He then looks up to check the cute fins he has instead of ears, or maybe the ears are just smaller and hidden behind them, he doesn't see any.

 

What he likes the most, though, is simply the merman's face. Noctis is now so close he has his forehead against the glass and Prompto stares oddly at him before a small smile stretches his pink lips. The merman imitates his pose, sticking his body so close against the other side that he can feel the light bump he makes when entering in contact with it.

 

Noctis thinks his heart's going to melt when Prompto presses his entire body against his through the glass, forehead against his, and he loses himself in the blue of his eyes.

 

He won.

He's taking the job.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow. This is one cheesy chapter here. But don't you worry guys, I'm not one to just write fluff *evil laugh*  
> So I feel like it's a bit rushed, but am happy with it at the same time.
> 
> I was spoiled by you guys with so many lovely comments, subs AND fanarts. Thank you so much! I didn't expect this fic to get so much love.
> 
> A big thank you to stylishchocobutt and barcodechocobo for their AMAZING FANARTS ! I love them so much <3  
> stylishchocobutt's art: https://stylishchocobutt.tumblr.com/post/161446823999/so-barcodechocobo-just-posted-an-amazing-art-of  
> barcodechocobo's https://barcodechocobo.tumblr.com/post/161445101989/couldnt-resist-drawing-some-fanart-based-on
> 
> I also wanted to say that I'm almost done with chapter 6 of Lost in blue, so please look forward to it guys!
> 
> (Beta : prompto-cam <3)

They stay like this for a while, staring at each other in silence. None of them willing to break the eye contact, to stop the moment they're sharing.

 

Noctis is the one who puts an end to it when he feels his phone vibrating inside his pocket. He takes it to check his messages and frowns. It's Gladio, reminding him that they still have training together this evening and he'd better not try to skip it.

 

He heaves a loud sigh, and looks up to see Prompto's now curiously staring at him, sparkling blue eyes questioning him and Noctis bites his lower lip.

 

“I'm sorry, I have to go. But I promise I'll come back tomorrow, okay?”

 

The merman tilts his head slightly on the side, hands gently taping on the glass to invite him to put his own back on it. Noctis slowly shakes his head and points his finger toward the corridor.

 

“I have to leave.”

 

He steps back to grab the folders he'd left on the floor as well as the keys and starts walking. He wants to smile when Prompto follows him, swimming in the same direction he's heading to, but guilt takes over when he notices the distress on his face. He stops when he reaches the end of the aquarium and the merman finds himself stuck, unable to go further, pressing his hands to the glass.

 

“I told you, I'll come back, as soon as possible.”

 

He doesn't know if Prompto doesn't understand, or if he simply can't hear him well, but the blond-haired creature's obviously not getting it and making a face like he's about to cry. It makes him feel even worse, he'd love to stay here the entire night. He doesn't think he'll get bored of looking at the merman anytime soon. But he still has duties, things to do. And he's afraid someone may oppose his job here if he starts avoiding those.

He makes the decision to turn his back to him, hoping that his gesture won't be misunderstood, and walks as fast as he can toward the exit. He doesn't dare to look back even once, he knows he won't be able to leave if he does.

 

...

 

It's hard for him to focus on anything for the rest of the day. His thoughts are all for the merman, hoping that he's okay and wanting it to be the next day to go back and see him. He wants to know more about him, spend time with him.

 

He knows he's gonna love this job.

 

He gives his best during his training with Gladio, focusing on their sparing so time will hopefully pass faster. When they're done, he takes a quick shower, eats the steak Ignis cooked for him and goes to sleep early, surprising everyone. His advisor doesn't have the time to question him about his job interview, the prince is already in pyjamas in his bed.

 

He surprises himself waking up at 7am the morning. But the best thing is the face Ignis makes when he stumbles in the kitchen, asking if breakfast is ready. Surely the bespectacled man wasn't expecting him to be up so early one day.

 

“So how did it go?” Ignis says between two sips of ebony coffee while the prince eats his scrambled eggs. “What kind of fish is it?”

 

Noctis swallows his bite and puts his fork down before looking at his advisor. “You won't believe it.”

 

Ignis raises an eyebrow, challenging him.

 

“A merman.”

 

“Excuse me?”

 

“You know? Half-man half-fish guy, a merman... I'm not kidding.” He takes another mouthful of his food while the other man stares at him with wide eyes. “You can come see him, later. But for now, only I can see him.”

He doesn't give Ignis a chance to reply and stands up, saying that he has to go now if he doesn't want to be late, even though it's not even 8am yet and the aquarium is only twenty minutes away by car.

 

 

He isn't the type to drive like crazy, even if Ignis thinks the contrary. He always respects the rules on the road, it was hard enough for him to get his driver license just a few months ago and he doesn't want to lose it now. But it's a real struggle for him not to rush this time. He just wants to see Prompto, and hopes that he won't be too mad at him.

He's waiting for the traffic light to turn green when something catches his attention, and he looks at the bright colors of a sushi shop's frontage. Maybe he could bring some to the merman and feed him some. He expects the director to let him in the aquarium the moment he signs the contract.

 

He makes it to the aquarium at the opening hour, and runs to the director's office. Thankful when the older man opens to him and invites him to take a seat, ignoring the sushi bag in the prince's hand.

 

“I'm guessing you're going to take the job?”

 

Noctis nods, discreetly catching his breath. The director smiles and hands him a few papers. “Here's your contract, you will be working with us until mid-September with the possibility to renew it for a longer time if you wish. We've also listed your tasks as the merman's caretaker.”

 

He takes a look at the said list, most of it seems normal, except for a few and he frowns. “Egg retrieving?”

 

“Yes. If you read the files I gave you, you should know this one is a male who can lay eggs. Since it's living alone, the eggs won't be fertilized and will end up rotting inside the tank.”

 

Noctis shrugs and takes the pen handed to him. It sounds logical, they don't want anything to rot and bacteria's to gather around it; Prompto could get sick. He signs the paper before giving it back to the man. “I'd like to go inside the tank now.”

 

The director takes the contract and carefully folds it before putting it inside a drawer. “I'm glad to see you motivated for this job! Ask the staff to prepare a list of the equipment you'll need if you want to buy it, unless you'd rather borrow a swimsuit and we'll hand it to you for free.”

 

“I'll buy it.” He isn't fond with the idea of wearing a cloth someone wore before, naked inside it. It's not like he took this job for the money anyway, he doesn't need it. His father just wants him to be active and do something during his summer.

 

He stands up and greets the director, then heads for Prompto's area.

 

A wave of relief overwhelms him the moment he steps inside the room and spots a long, orange tail near the rock, and he wonders what the merman is exactly doing, but chooses to not disturb him.

 

Instead, he opens a door that takes him in the room behind the tank where a woman's filling up a bucket with dead fish. She greets him with a nod and stretches her limbs.

 

“You're working here now, aren't you, prince? I was about to feed the boy but since you're here, I'll let you do it.”

 

Noctis takes a look at the inside of the bucket and grimaces. He caught tons of fresh fish, and he knows when they've been dead for a while. He hopes Prompto's stomach is resistant. Well... He can still feed him his sushi's too. At least he's sure it's edible.

 

“Can I stay with him for a while?”

 

The woman shrugs and takes her plastic gloves off. “Do whatever you want, you're the one in charge of this tank and what's inside now. If you need any help, you can find me in the seals area. I'll send a list of the materials you need to the palace.”

 

He takes the bucket after she gave him some keys, told him what each of them is for and goes upstairs, to access to the inside of the merman's place.

There's only one door he unlocks after taking off his shoes. There's no balcony, it gives a direct access to the ladder for the big flat rock a few meters under and he frowns. He supposes the staff just throw the fish in the water and let Prompto get them, so they never have direct contact with him. He doesn't know what the safety rules are for that kind of place, but it's dangerous for someone who wouldn't know what's behind. They could walk and meet only with empty space. He isn't going to complain though. He doesn't care, as long as he's left alone with the sea creature.

He secures the handle of the heavy bucket on his arm before taking the ladder. He tries to be quiet, wanting to surprise the merman, though he hopes Prompto will react positively.

 

When he makes it on the rock, he leaves the bucket as well as the paper bag containing the sushi box and tries to spot Prompto. He sees him, just a few meters under water, and raises an eyebrow when he realizes the merman is... Digging the sand? What is he doing?

 

“Oi, are you a dog or a merman?” He speaks loudly, and smiles when the blond-haired boy looks up. Noctis gestures for him to come and takes a step back when the merman swims rather rapidly toward him.

 

Prompto makes it partially out of the water in no time, and rests his upper body on the flat surface, wide eyes and mouth agape. Noctis waves his hand shyly.

 

“I told you I'd be back.”

 

He can't help but stare at the sea creature, he looks even prettier now that he's so close to him. His freckles even more obvious. He crouches and retrieves the plastic box in the bag, containing way too much food for just the two of them, but he doesn't know how much a merman eats, he opted for safety and asked for a big menu.

 

“I brought something for you.”

 

Prompto tilts his head to the side before moving closer, and Noctis could swear he saw the fins on his head trembling somehow. He seems rather relaxed, so Noctis decides to sit crossed-leg near the edge. He opens the box and lets the other male look at it curiously.

 

“It's food. Rice with... different types of fish.” He watches as Prompto inches his face closer to smell it, before looking at him. The prince takes a piece and puts it in his mouth, chewing slowly and swallowing. Then takes another piece and hands it to the merman who hesitates a few seconds before parting his lips. He masticates really slowly at first, making faces for a while before opening again and gesturing for Noctis to give him more. Pointing a slim finger at the box, then at his own mouth while looking at the prince who chuckles and does what he's asked to.

They keep silent the entire time he's feeding him. Prompto enjoying his breakfast while Noctis gazes at him. Amazed by the merman's beauty. Admiring the transparent fins around narrowed hips and it looks like the veils dancers like to wear for some shows. He surprises himself when he thinks that he wants to hold him, touch him. Prompto takes him back to reality when his mouth closes around his fingers, pink lips sucking at them.

 

“What are you-”

 

Something weird happens inside him – in his lower abdomen – and he backs away, earning a pout from the merman. This isn't okay. What was he doing just now? It can't be something like that, he probably just wanted some more food. He shouldn't think about this.

He sighs and chooses to ignore what just happened.

 

“Hm. Anyway, I wonder why you were digging the sand earlier.” He sits next to Prompto and rolls up his pants to dip his legs in the water, now that he's sure the sea creature feels at ease with him. The merman takes the opportunity to wedge his whole upper body between his legs and settles his arms on the prince's thighs who feels his cheeks heating up.

 

“I... Honestly didn't think you'd come so close on the first day.” He slowly raises his hand to caress the boy's cheek, making sure that he isn't going to startle him. Prompto lets him, even leans into the touch and another curious hand approaches to feel the fins on the blonde head. It feels smooth like silk. “But they did say you were docile...”

 

Or maybe Prompto just likes him and decided to trust him, he hopes. He doesn't know why he wishes to be special to him. Probably because he's the only one who will never bother about his status as the prince.

 

“I didn't introduce myself...” He thinks out loud, catching the other's attention. He puts his hand on his chest. “I'm Noctis.” Then he gestures toward the merman. “You're Prompto.” His fingers are back on his heart. “Noctis.”

 

“Noc... Noxtis.” He tries, frowning at his own pronunciation. Noctis gazes at him, dumbfounded.

 

Shit. He can talk. The director didn't mention it.

How can he ask Noctis to consider Prompto like some kind of dog if he's able to converse?

He closes his eyes and tries to resonate. Maybe he's just repeating words, but doesn't understand any of it. Parrots can 'talk', but they're still animals, smart animals. They did research after all. He's sure the man at the head of one of the biggest cultural spots of Insomnia made sure he wasn't lied too.

He convinces himself for now. He'll get to see if Prompto's smart or not in the few days coming.

 

His focus is back on the merman who tries to say his name correctly once again, and Noctis wishes he could hug him because he looks adorable with his hair sticking in every way, clashing with the serious expression he's wearing. He runs his fingers through blond locks, praising him, and massages his scalp until Prompto surprises him once again, snuggling his face between his neck and shoulder.

Noctis freezes when he hears and feels the other smelling him, taking a deep breath with his nose buried against his skin. His grip instinctively tightens around his hair, ready to force him to pull away if he does anything too weird. Prompto may be considered docile, but he was still wild a few months ago and isn't just a vegetarian. What if he bites him? Would he? Does he produce any venom? Damn, he should've read the entire file.

 

Prompto never bites him, and moves from Noctis' collarbone to behind his ear, down to his chest and the prince panics when he sees him inching too close to his crotch, taking his scent in.

 

“Hey. Hey, stop that. This is offending now, I took a shower, I don't sme-Prompto!”

 

The young merman is now nuzzling his face between his thighs and Noctis struggles to have him stop, pulling on his hair until it's too painful and Prompto looks up, his cheeks red like cherry tomatoes, tongue out.

 

“What are you doing? You can't do that!” Noctis scolds him, feeling hot. He doesn't understand why he's acting like this. “You can't just shove your face in other people's crotches.”

 

Prompto bites his lips, giving him one of the cutest, innocent face he's ever seen but his fingers tell otherwise, wandering on his thighs and he could swear the merman's trying to tell him the pants are bothering him.

 

Noctis cups his face between his hands, earning a startled noise from the other, and gently rubs his nose against Prompto's.

 

“Here. This is what you can do if you want to show affection.”

 

Prompto's tensed at first. His body stiff, clenching his teeth. But he progressively relaxes and starts mirroring him with a wide smile after a moment, the fins on his head trembling and Noctis decides this is his way to show his excitement. His heart skips a beat when the merman murmurs his name and he sighs.

 

“I don't think this is going to be just a summer job...”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so guys, chapter 6 of Lost in blue was sent to my beta, I should be able to update it within two weeks (I hope? Depends of my beta, he has his own life to live first!)  
> I'm also working on the next chapter for TMIR at the moment, but it's really hot here and I felt like writing something related to water so here it goes ~ Just a chapter with a lot of fluff. But I won't have much time this week to write anything else and don't wanna rush this story either so enjoy the fluff while it lasts! 
> 
> (beta : prompto-cam)
> 
> BEAUTIFUL FANARTS from mituni14 (thank you so much <3) : http://mituni14.tumblr.com/post/161668235694/so-kupoxv-updated-shades-of-gold-which-im-really

Noctis doesn't stay for too long that day. Not because he doesn't want to, he'd love to spend more time with him. But it's just impossible with the merman either trying to drag him into the water or splashing him out of frustration when Noctis keeps refusing. He isn't scared to swim in the same tank with him, he just doesn't have any swimsuit now and no spare clothes.

 

He still takes his time to study the sea creature a little more as long as he can. Because it seems like Prompto is the type who just can't stand to stay and do nothing, even if his activities within the aquarium are extremely restricted. He'll make sure to bring him something to have fun with and spend his energy on.

 

He lets his fingers wander on the merman's body, going lower until he touches his scales. It's not really hard, more like soft and flexible. Prompto takes the opportunity to cuddle, purring against his ear. When Noctis starts feeling awkward again, he gently pushes him and pecks a kiss on his forehead before standing up. He has to leave fast, because he knows Prompto's sad face could have the best of his will and he'd stay for another hour just to put a smile back on it.

 

 

 

He spends his afternoon looking for a fitting swimsuit and the rest of the material he needs. Nothing he can't afford, but it still takes him hours to decide what he wants. In the end, he picks the most simple. A black, skin-tight jammer. This way he's sure he won't lose it anytime soon, or so he hopes. He gets a few other things like flippers, although he believes it's unnecessary since the tank isn't that huge, but maybe it'll help for the clean and not to spend too much energy swimming.

 

He comes early the next day. So early he earns a compliment from Ignis for waking up before the dawn. He doesn't see where Prompto is at first, but soon relaxes when he spots him on the large rock, just lying there.

 

Wait. Why isn't he moving?

 

He rushes to the private room. Takes off his shoes and takes the ladder to go down, panic slowly settling in his mind when he fears the merman might be dehydrated and not have the strength to get back into the water. What if he somehow got stuck?

 

“Prompto?”

 

He asks, sitting next to him. Prompto opens his eyes and lifts up his upper body, supporting himself on his elbows and rubbing his eyes. He lets a small groan escape from his mouth, bothered during what could be a long nap. He looks fine, and that's all Noctis needs to feel better. The crown prince sighs in relief and ruffles his hair affectionately. “So you were just sleeping...”

 

He watches as the merman stretches his limbs lazily, admiring the orange and gold scales of his tail, then proceeds to take his shirt off. As soon as he puts the cloth on the floor, he notices the way Prompto's staring at him with obvious interest. Wide eyes, mouth slightly opened. He raises a curious brow, and starts unbuttoning his pants, interested by the merman's reaction. His cheeks taking a pink shade, gazing at him.

 

“You're... Being a little creepy right now.” The crown prince murmurs, catching his attention and Prompto smiles shyly.

 

He gets rid of his clothes, keeping only the swimsuit he put on before going to the aquarium. The sea creature barely moves the entire time, except for the palm of his tail swinging in the water, showing his impatience maybe.

When he's done, he takes his phone from the bag he brought with him and opens the camera.

 

“Hey, come here. I want to show you to Ignis and Gladio.”

 

Prompto looks confused, staring at the strange object in the prince's hand. He sits up straight, and Noctis leans in, closing the gap between their bodies to have his face close to his and putting the front camera on. The merman gasps at the sight of the two of them on the screen. Noctis snaps a picture. Prompto comes closer, his brows furrowed, squinting to get a better look. He snaps another shot, the sound startling the other.

Noctis chuckles and takes his hand to reassure him. “Relax, I'm taking pictures of us, look.”

 

He switches to the gallery and shows him the pictures he just took. Prompto smiles and presses on the small camera logo to switch back to the selfie mode.

 

“Yes, and you press here to take a picture.” He shows it to him one more time, until his phone starts ringing. The chocobo song echoes in the aquarium while Gladio's name appears on the screen. Noctis grins and takes the call, activating the video mode.

 

“Oi, Gladio.”

 

“Hey kid... It's unlike you to use the video mode.”

 

“Yeah.” Noctis chuckles and directs the angle of the camera to the merman. “But I wanted to show you this guy.”

 

Prompto's brows furrow when he sees the stranger's face and jumps in surprise when the man whistles loudly.

 

“You got yourself a boyfriend? Pretty boy, but if I were you I wouldn't tell your dad or Ignis. Aren't you supposed to be working?”

 

Noctis rolls his eyes and tries to film both him and the blond haired man. “Not my boyfriend. He's the 'fish' I'll have to take care of this summer, Ignis didn't tell you?”

 

His shield blinks a few times, dumbfounded. “The merman? He thought you were just kidding. Hey, Iggy c'mere!”

 

The prince quirked an eyebrow. Gladio's obviously at his place, he recognizes his living room. What is his advisor doing there too? Prompto grabs the phone the moment Ignis appears on the screen too, curious more than anything despite his pout. He sees the merman trying to swim away, but manages to imprison him between his legs.

 

“Well, what do we have here?” He hears Ignis' voice and tries to get his phone back, but Prompto extends his hands, eager to keep this new toy for himself.

 

“It's Prompto, the merman I talked to you about. Prom give it back to me!”

 

Ignis adjusts his glasses on his nose, studying the younger man's face. “I'm... This is quite amazing, even if I can't see much of the fish part.”

 

“Well,” He keeps struggling ridiculously with the other. “You could come see him next week, and Gladio too. I'm going to teach him a few things for him to show off. No-!”

 

The bespectacled man chuckles when he understands Prompto managed to escape from his grip and is now swimming on his back with the phone between his hands, holding it above his head and filming himself with terrible angles. Noctis can't hear his advisor anymore, but he's sure Ignis guessed what's happening. He thinks it's funny at first, the merman looks so cute, focused like he is. But the prince's smile fades when Prompto drops it, and watches as the phone slowly falls deeper into the water. Noctis facepalms and heaves a loud sigh. He should've expected this to happen. Okay, there's no need to panic. This phone's supposed to be waterproof.

 

“Prompto, go get it, please. It can't stay in the water for too long.” He speaks loud enough for the merman to hear him clear from the distance.

 

The sea creature's eyes are now on him as he gives him a big, playful smile. Then comes back to him and nuzzles his face against his chest. He rolls his eyes back and stretches to get his bag. Noctis picks up a special mask he got for a shameful price, but he really wanted to give it a try. He knows he won't need to stay for too long under the water, but he wants to be able to spend some time in there with Prompto too. He needs company, and he'd love to be able to teach him some tricks too. He makes sure to adjust it correctly, the transparent mask covering his entire face. He isn't sure he understood everything the seller told him, but from what he remembers, the device on it extracts the oxygen in the water and allows him to breath as long as the battery lasts; a few hours.

 

He lowers his head to look at Prompto, who takes his distance and looks unpleased with what he sees, grimacing. Noctis smiles through his mask and waves at him, before diving into the water.

 

It's surprisingly clear, he stays close to the surface for a few minutes, making sure the mask is doing its job. Ignoring Prompto moving around and staring oddly at him. When he feels confident enough, the prince swims to the bottom of the tank to scavenge for his phone.

 

Damn, where did he drop it?

 

He frowns and looks around, moving closer to the rock. He remembers seeing the merman digging the day before and is curious to see what he was doing. His eyes widen when he finds something he wasn't originally looking for.

 

There's a small hole, dug into the sand, with a bunch of eggs in it. They're as big as a tennis ball, and of a really light, creamish-yellow color. How could he lay so fast? He's been here for only three days, so how often does he do this?

He extends his hand to feel them. But as soon as he's about to touch one, Prompto appears out of nowhere and Noctis feels a harsh slap on his arm. He stares at his painful arm in shock, before he catches a glint of orange scales and the merman's here, covering the eggs with his body and glaring at him, the small fins on his head stuck against his hair.

 

Okay, he doesn't want him to touch the eggs. It's going to be much more complicated than he thought to retrieve them.

 

For now, he can't do anything. He isn't in his element. He'll have to talk about it to the director. The prince backs up slowly, moving away to go back and search for his phone. He finds it a few minutes later between algae's, and looks for Prompto – who's still watching his eggs, eyes on the raven-haired male – before swimming back to the surface.

 

He rests his upper body on the flat surface of the rock, and takes his mask off to test his phone. Thanks the astrals, it's still working and showing no signs of any damages. The call was simply cancelled. He sighs and throws it on his dry clothes.

 

He turns to see where the merman is and jumps when he finds himself face to face with him. Prompto doesn't look happy, but not furious either.

 

“I'm sorry I didn't mean to do anything bad.” Noctis murmurs. The merman inches closer, biting his lip, until he's too close for comfort and for the first time he's worried something bad could happen. Even if until now he doubted Prompto could be violent. But the stinging on his arm contradicts him.

 

“Prom-” The smaller male stops him with his hand on his mouth, fingers gentle despite his serious face. When the prince accepts to keep quiet, Prompto points at the bottom of the rock, where his nest is.

 

“No touch.” He says firmly, ignoring the shock on the human's face. “Prompto touch, Noxtis no touch.”

 

Noctis stays dumbfounded, and slowly nods his head yes. The merman seems content with his answer, and passes his arms around his neck and goes straight for the kiss he showed him the day before, knocking their foreheads together and pressing his nose against his. The prince rubs against his absent-mindly, staring at him.

 

Prompto talks, he can express himself even if it's clumsy. This is crazy.

 

Noctis closes his eyes and exhales, this situation is weird. He's starting to think Prompto has nothing to do in captivity. But at the same time, where else could he be except for the ocean? If he could prove that he's as smart and sensible being, he'd have to go back to his natural habitat and he'd never see him again.

… He'll think about this later. He can't do this and lose his job, or he'll have to work the entire summer in a shitty place surrounded by tons of people snapping pictures of him. And as long as he's here, nothing bad can happen to the sea creature.

 

He reaches for him, arms circling around the slim waist in an embrace. He'll have to find a way to get his eggs too, he doesn't want the young merman to catch some kind of illness or infection because of them. But for now, he wants to enjoy his time together.

 

Prompto moves back and takes his hand, dragging him slowly back into the water and Noctis just has a short time to put his mask back on. He holds the smaller hand tight, and watches the way the merman's hips move with every flick of his tail. His movements are so smooth, and Noctis feels ashamed because he probably looks incredibly clumsy. And not just because of this, but also because of the thought crossing his mind when he sees how his body's moving. It's graceful, and sexy at the same time. No, he can't think about that kind of thing.

 

His tail isn't that long, if he doesn't count the long, ethereal palm at the end of it. His entire body's almost the same size as his, except that Prompto looks much slimmer, his ribs stick out and he wonders if he was eating well while he was with the Empire.

 

They make it to the bottom of the tank, behind a thick 'bush' of algae's and before Noctis can do anything, he feels the merman's tail wrapping around his right leg, Prompto trapping him between the ground and his slender body with a smile.

 

He stares at the gorgeous young man above him, unable to keep his hands for himself, fingers wandering on the smooth scales on his hips. He loves the way the merman's blond hair is dancing around his face and bright blue eyes look at him. He's stunning. He could stay like this for hours, he feels good here. There's no need to talk, he can just hold the other male and admire him. The mask is comfortable to wear and doing its job to give him the oxygen he needs.

 

But as discrete and transparent as it can be, Prompto's still unhappy when he bumps his face against the plastic material in an attempt to get another eskimo kiss. Noctis doesn't see it coming, his arms still locked around his body when the merman grabs it and the mask is yanked from his face.

 

He wants to yell, but water fills his lungs and he jerks his body to free himself from the sea creature's grip. Prompto doesn't seem to understand at first, and keeps his tail tightly wrapped around his leg, his head tilted to the side, then looking at the mask he threw away. Noctis is choking, his lungs burning as his system's begging for air. The merman lets go of him to go get the mask and the prince tries to swim as fast as possible back to the surface, kicking off the ground to get a good impulse.

 

He makes it to the top before the black dots in front of his eyes turn into a whole veil and takes a deep breath, before coughing all the water stuck in his windpipe. He climbs on the rock, its surface warmed by the projectors lightening the entire tank, and lies on it for a while, catching his breath.

 

“Noct?” Prompto's small voice calls for him. He turns his head to see the merman's face out of the water as he slowly puts the mask next to him.

 

Noctis coughs again, hand reaching for the other male who flinches and protects his face with his arms, whimpering. The prince frowns. Why is he scared? He sits up straight and spread his legs, gesturing for Prompto to come between them. When he's close enough, Noctis cups the freckled face between his hand and sighs.

 

“Prom, you can't do this again. I need the mask, I can't breathe like you underwater.”

 

He's lucky he's good swimmer, and didn't panic too much. Someone else could've drowned. Prompto tries to lower his head, but the prince doesn't let him. He leans closer to him and presses a kiss at the corner of his lips. “I'm fine, but you can't do this again, okay?”

 

Tears gather in those blue eyes, and pink lips are trembling when the merman passes his arms around him and snuggles his face against his chest. Noctis' fingers slide through blond locks and gently grab them in a possessive gesture, holding him tightly.

 

“You're so adorable Prom, how could I be mad at you?”

 

He can feel long, blond eyelashes tickling his skin every time Prompto blinks. He pulls away and studies his face. Astrals, he'll never get tired of it. “You know what, I'm gonna get back to the palace and bring a few things for you to have some fun with. And a good meal too. I'm not feeding you these weird fish.”

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING /!\ tw: use of drugs/sedatives (sedation)
> 
> (not so) slowly building the angst and their relationship~  
> I didn't even realize it's been two weeks since I last updated. I've had a crazy schedule!  
> As always, hope you guys will like it <3  
> (beta: prompto-cam)

_That's crazy._

 

Noctis didn't think he'd pour so much of his time in his new job, or in any kind of job. He doesn't even bother studying more that one or two hours on weekends despite Ignis harassing him to. But he's simply been obsessed about the merman and his well-being. His thoughts have been for the blonde creature for the past week, since the first time he's seen him. He wants to spoil him, teach him new things and he'd probably sleep at the aquarium if he was allowed to.

But that's the good kind of crazy, he hopes.

 

The cashier asks for his credit card and Noctis doesn't bother acknowledging the expensive price, shoving the product he just bought in a bag. Ignoring the couple behind snapping pictures of him.

 

“Are you sure it works well underwater?”

 

“It does. You could keep it for days in a bucket filled with water and it'd still work. This camera was made for this.”

 

The prince nods, currently focusing on the packaging, smiling. He'll be able to take wonderful pictures of Prompto with this, and maybe he could teach him how to use it. Could be a lot of fun. The cashier gives him a receipt and he goes back to his car, frowning at the lack of space in the trunk of his car, filled with presents for the merman. Damn, maybe he should slow down.

 

 

...

 

 

He goes back to the aquarium. But instead of heading directly to Prompto's area, he makes his way to the director's place whom he contacted earlier. He knocks at the door twice before he's told to come in and sits in the chair in front of the man.

 

“Is everything going well?” The older man asks, legs crossed while filling papers.

 

Noctis shrugs and heaves a sigh. He doesn't want to look too attached already. Wouldn't be nice to creep the man out. “It's fine, he's a good boy. But he won't let me come close to his eggs. Couldn't retrieve them.”

 

The director stops writing, lifts his head up to stare at the prince, eyes sparkling. “It already laid eggs?”

 

Erg. He hates the fact that this man keeps calling Prompto 'It'. This isn't even convenient.

 

“Yeah... And _he_ didn't want me to touch them. So what can I do about that?”

 

The man lays back in his large leathered chair, thoughtful. “Hm... Niflheim mentioned this issue already, we thought this one wouldn't mind it since the eggs are empty. But I have a solution, don't worry.”

 

Noctis relaxes on his chair and crosses his arms. “About Niflheim, for how long have they been working with them?”

 

“Hm... About a year now, there are still a lot of things we ignore about them for sure. Why? Is there anything you want to talk about?”

 

He opens his mouth, hesitates. He wants to mention the fact that Prompto can express himself, he can talk. But he knows that if he does so and they realize the merman has nothing to do here, they'll take him away from him. He may never see him again.

 

“... No. Just curious. So what's this solution for the eggs?”

 

 

...

 

 

_It's fucking crazy._

 

Not the good kind of crazy this time. He doesn't even like what he's about to do, and he's 99% sure this isn't correct. But once again, if he doesn't do his job correctly... He could lose him.

 

He stares at the auto injector in his hand, the small part of the needle inside barely visible, then at the mass of blonde hair while the smaller man has his nose buried against his neck. His heart hammering in his chest.

 

As always, Prompto came to greet him as soon as he heard his voice, circling his arms around Noctis' waist and knocking their foreheads together for their usual eskimo kiss. He'll always be amazed by how easily the sea creature accepted him in such a short time, always wants to be close to him.

 

It just makes him feel worse, like he's about to betray him. He knows he's sweating way too much, in addition to his trembling fingers, and hopes the merman didn't notice.

 

_It's fine. He's just going to be asleep for one or two hours. It's not dangerous for him._

 

He passes his free hand behind Prompto's head, securing his fingers between blonde locks to make sure he won't move. He doesn't want the needle to break under his skin and be stuck in there. Prompto doesn't move, purring against his neck.

 

Noctis rests his other hand on a freckled shoulder.

 

_He'll be okay, they know their job. The dose is just enough for him, and he won't remember anything so he can't be mad at you._

 

He takes a deep breath, fingers tightening around the injector. A swift motion is all it takes for him to stab the merman's neck and press on a unique button.

 

Prompto doesn't have the time to react. He doesn't even move back. There's just a small cry of pain barely audible, and a few convulsions before his slender body goes terrifyingly numb. Noctis shoves the syringe back in his bag and checks the merman's pulse, panting, mouth dry.

 

_Fuck._

 

It's there. Beating so slowly but it's always been like this. That's good, he'll be okay. He'll wake up soon.

 

He takes another deep breath before he forces himself to unlock his arms tightly wrapped around the cold body, lifting him on the rock and laying him there. He doesn't look at him, doesn't want to.

 

He grabs his mask, the bag he was given, and dives into the water.

 

 

...

 

It doesn't take too long to retrieve the eggs. All of them are stocked in the same hole the merman dug a few days earlier, he didn't bother hiding them at all. The texture's weird, but not disgusting. Gummy, and he can slightly dig his fingers into them like in a ripe peach. They're of the same creamy yellow color and as far as he can tell, they really are empty.

 

He shoves them inside the bag and makes sure to put it in another room before going back to take care of Prompto until he's back to full consciousness.

 

He stays seated after he dragged him closer and made sure Prompto's comfortably rested on his lap, unable to take a rest before the smaller male starts moving an hour later, balling his fingers into fists first, then his arms and moving his head slowly to look around.

 

“Hey...” Noctis whispers, voice soft and warm, trying to comfort the distressed merman. “It's fine, you just took a nap.”

 

Prompto isn't listening to him. As soon as he gains control of his body again, he's diving deep into the bottom of the tank where Noctis was earlier. The prince carefully sits on the edge, anxiety slowly settling inside his stomach. Guilt making its way to his heart when Prompto's back to the surface almost immediately, panic obvious in his eyes as he grabs his hand and tries to pull him into the water.

 

“Eggs! My eggs!” He keeps whining, eyes switching from Noctis to deep into the water where the things he treasures used to be.

 

Noctis pulls the merman closer and cups his face. “Calm down, Prompto... They were taken away, because they could become bad for your health.”

 

There's no way he can tell him that he's the one who did this. Not when he sees tears rolling on freckled cheeks and those pretty pink lips trembling.

 

“Noctis... Eggs...” Prompto chokes before burying his face against his torso. Noctis passes his hands around his waist to lift him up and carefully sits him on his lap. This is something he never tried before, but maybe that's a good time if it helps to comfort him. He's lighter than Noctis thought he would be, but he's also thankful for Gladio's training and all the times he told him one day he'll be thankful for all those push-ups he has to do every time, or forcing him to fight with this damn two-handed sword.

The merman doesn't react , too busy sobbing and whispering things he doesn't understand at all. He heard him doing this before, but Noctis isn't sure if he's speaking in another language or simply prattling/babbling the words he heard, like babies do.

 

Eventually, Prompto rests his side against him, slightly relaxed but still muttering things between sobs, deaf to Noctis' words to comfort him. He tries to explain, even if he did it before. Tells him that it's okay, because there aren't any babies inside and they'd end up making his tank dirty. But he either doesn't understand, or doesn't want to accept it.

 

“Prom...” Noctis whispers to the merman curled up on his lap, embracing him gently. He doesn't know what to do, completely out of ideas. He just strokes his back, watching the way his shoulder blades move with every cry.

 

Something catches his attention when he looks at the vulnerable nape offered to him. There's a spot of skin slightly different, a really soft baby pink he never noticed before. It looks like a rather large birthmark conveniently placed right in the centre.

 

His fingers brush on it, causing the smaller male to gasp and his body to tense. Noctis watches his reaction, feeling the really light bump under the skin, he keeps his light caress, Prompto shivering under the touch.

 

“Makes you feel better?” He whispers. A crooked smile on his lips when he sees Prompto's cheeks flushing as he stares into the void, lips parted.

 

Noctis tips his head to press his mouth on the soft spot, closing his eyes when Prompto starts shaking under his hands, making lewd noises.

 

_So that's a weak spot. Good to know._

 

He pecks a few kisses on his nape, savouring the merman's moans and the way his body will tense before relaxing every time, as well as the sweet smell that seems to come from the discrete mark. Prompto smells like the ocean on a sunny day, with a hint of something sweet he can't identify.

It's intoxicating. He absolutely loves this scent, only makes him want to bite into the soft skin, kiss it and lick it. How come he never noticed it before?

 

Astrals know how of little help Prompto is right now, breathing heavy and grabbing onto the prince like his life depends on it. There are so many things he wants to do to him, but he isn't sure if this would be considered normal with a merman. Damn, what's wrong with him?

 

This isn't the time anyway. He can't do something weird whereas the merman was in tears minutes ago. He doesn't want him to deal with a roller-coaster of emotions. Or to be scared.

 

At least he knows more about him now, and Prompto stopped thinking about those damn eggs.

 

He stops after a while to let the blond-haired male straighten up, only to kiss his head. It's funny, his scent isn't as strong here as it is on his strange birthmark.

 

They stay like this for a while. Noctis holding the now exhausted merman in his arms, his nose buried in his hair. When he's sure – almost, at least – that Prompto will be fine, he scavenges the inside of his bag with one hand before pulling the new camera out.

 

“I got something for you, wanna try?”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you guys may have noticed, I was a little inspired by A/B/O dynamics. Wanted to try new things. Hope you like it too!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> F I N A L L Y  
> I thought I was never going to update any of my fics anymore. I'm so sorry I'm taking so long guys. My job schedule is... The worst. I'm outside my house 13h per day and whenever I come home all I want is to sleep, especially during my rest days.  
> But finally, I could take the time to sit my butt in front of my computer and here it is! I feel like I could've done better, and I definitely will in the next chapter.  
> Lost in blue's next chapter is almost completed as well. But for now, I hope you guys enjoy this! This chapter both have Prompto and Noctis' POV.  
> And thanks to all of you for commenting either here on messaging me on tumblr. This is so helpful <3 
> 
> beta: prompto-cam
> 
> Also, thank you to hell_13th for this beautiful fanart. I love it!! http://hell13th-blog.tumblr.com/post/162499775659/its-already-been-my-wip-for-two-weeks-or-so-but

Prompto toyed with his newest present from Noctis way more than necessary in the last few days, but that's to everyone's amusement. He's a fast learner when he wants to, and he was quick to master the use of his aqua-proof camera underwater.

 

The first pictures were terrible, of course. He'd take random pictures of anything he could see in his rather small aquarium. But it was already obvious that Prompto has some pretty good aesthetics. He'd take pictures of the most colorful plants and the few rare sea stars, and his favorite seashells that Noctis brings to him whenever he comes back to Galdin Quay.

 

His favorite model has been Noctis from the beginning, and the prince is so thankful that the pictures can't be shared on social networks because some of them are just too embarrassing. Prompto's first pictures of him were messy. He'd either choose to focus on a part of his body like his hands and snap shot after shot until he got satisfied, or kept the lens too close to his face for comfort, resulting with Noctis looking really awkward.

 

The worst for Noctis was to get the merman to give him back the camera once it was out of batteries. Obviously, Prompto doesn't understand the concept of electricity and it simply resulted in him being very frustrated, handing it to the other male with a heavy sigh and a pout. It'd taken him a few times of having to give it back to Noctis for him to recharge it to stop being moody whenever it refused to work properly, knowing that it'd work again when Noctis comes back.

 

He quickly became really good at taking pictures, even of himself with the selfie mode, and the director of the aquarium decided that it'd be a great opportunity to make some more money.

 

“It's simple,” Noctis has the merman settled between his legs, arms on his thighs to support himself and his lower body in the water. Eyes following his every move. “The director, the man who I work for, wants you to take pictures with the people who will come to visit you starting from tomorrow. But... Only with the ones who paid for this extra. Not everyone.”

 

Prompto raises a curious brow, not quite understanding what his human is trying to explain. But he's trying really hard to focus on his words, knowing that it always makes Noctis happy to know they can communicate together.

 

“Yeah, so this thing.” He shows him the strange, humanoid but not quite object he had with him the entire time since he arrived. Prompto's never seen one before. It has two legs and two arms, a round head with a big red nose and a pompon attached to its head too. It's cute, and he's been wanting to touch it for a while now. “People will buy their photo taken by you and with you in advance, and they'll get this moogle as an extra. So whenever you see people with a moogle, you take a picture of them. You can try selfies too, they'd be even happier. Got it?”

 

The merman slowly looks up, only to point at the cute thing. “Moogle?”

 

Noctis closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. “Yes, that's a moogle.”

 

“Can I have?”

 

“Huh... Prom, it won't last underwater.”

 

“Keep here then!” Prompto gestures to the flat surface Noctis is sitting on, then passes his arms around the raven-haired boy's neck and presses their foreheads and noses together. “Please, Noct?”

 

Two arms wrap around his waist, and he can feel Noctis relaxing. He hides his smile of victory by burying his face in the human's neck, enjoying his smell more than any other's. By now he knows how weak can Noctis be to those small gestures. Good for him, since he loves doing so.

 

“Fine, I'll give it to you if you show me you understood and promise me you won't put it in the water.”

 

Prompto nods his head yes, lets Noctis push him gently and look toward the inside of the room. Two men are standing near the glass, staring at them. He's never seen them before.

 

“Oi, so that's your boyfriend?” The bigger male talks first, grinning with his arms crossed against his chest. Prompto wants to swim toward him to observe him, but he's feeling too unsure and chooses the safety of Noctis' arms rather than the need for his curiosity to be fed.

 

“Now I understand why you spent so much time here.” The other one adds, readjusting something on his nose. Prompto frowns and moves away from the warm embrace to approach the man. He barely hears the discussion between the three men once he's underwater, and he's too focused on the two pieces of glass stuck on the man's nose to listen to Noctis blabbering something about the merman not being his boyfriend.

 

The man is much slimmer than the one he's standing next to, his hair a sandy color. He seems to understand what bothers the blond-haired male so much, because he lowers the glasses on his nose to wink at him, before putting them back on. A shy smile stretches Prompto's lips when he understands the glasses are probably an accessory like Noctis' mask when he swims with him.

 

He spots a similar toy in the bigger male's hands, it looks ridiculously tiny but he can still spot its big nose and pompon. He remembers what Noctis said earlier and goes back to find the camera he left with his human.

 

“Noct, man has moogle!” The merman says in excitement as soon as his head is out of the water, stretching his arms toward the camera and grabbing it.

 

“Yep, go ahead and take good pictures of these two, okay?” Noctis chuckles and pecks a kiss on damp blond hair.

 

…

 

“Hey, that's pretty good.” Gladio, that's his name, seems really content with the picture he took of the two of them. They're both holding the little moogle plushie and giving him a thumbs up. It's not bad, the image isn't blurry although it was obviously taken underwater.

 

“You did well, Prompto.” Ignis adds, nodding. He then turns to Noctis. “Do you think people will really be fine paying so much for a simple picture and a plush?”

 

Noctis shrugs, his fingers lost between the blond locks of the merman. He managed to get his two friends inside the tank with him and, although Prompto understands that they're precious to his human's heart, he wishes they would've stayed behind the glass. He feels uncomfortable with so many people around, it brings bad memories to his mind.

 

“I know, a thousand gil extra is a lot for a simple picture. They're definitely milking Prom's ability to use the camera. I shouldn't talk about it to the director.”

 

Prompto doesn't react to his name being mentioned. He's been shyly hiding between the other young males arms, feeling more peaceful and slowly dozing off.

 

“It's okay, Noct. At least now he has an excuse for keeping this camera. And you're taking good care of him, that's all he seems to care about.”

 

“Yeah... Talking about that, I need to clean his tank before tomorrow. Gladio, look into my bag and hand it to me.”

 

Prompto keeps his head resting against the warm chest, eyes closed, lulled to sleep by the reassuring heartbeat.

 

“Noct? What the fuck?” Gladio grunts, sounding both confused and angry.

 

Prompto wants to look up to see what's happening, wondering why the huge man's scolding Noctis, but the grip in his hair tightens, forcing him against the warm skin and he can hear his heart beating much faster.

 

“I know. Don't think I like it, I have my instructions and... Fuck. Just give it to me.”

 

Prompto starts struggling. He doesn't understand every word he hears, but he knows there's something wrong. Noctis never acted like this. He doesn't like the way he's gripping at him like this, he hates being forced like this, or immobilised.

 

“Noct-”

 

The sudden pain in his neck cuts the air out of him. He remember this happening recently, then his eggs were gone. He can feel his body going numb, his vision blurring.

He uses his remaining strength to pull himself away from the embrace he usually cherishes so much, only for the pain to feel even worse. His body stops obeying to him, his arms refuse to move, he can't feel his tail anymore. Breathing is becoming a struggle. He doesn't hear Noctis screaming in panic when he smells his own blood around his head.

 

…

 

Prompto doesn't know how time works, he never had to care about it back in the days when he was free. He only started to get a small idea of it when he was brought into one of those cold looking rooms, all white, deprived of any other colors. He knew it was the time when people would come to him when the lights were on, and that he didn't have to worry about anything when it was dark.

It's quite different here. The lights of his aquarium are almost always on, but the ones in the big room are sometimes off, when all the human leaves. He wishes there was a dark spot in his cage, somewhere he could hide, or simply sleep knowing no one will hurt him. But there isn't.

 

When he gains back control of his body, the big room is in the dark. His first idea is to go check if his eggs are still there, but an almost unbearable pain in his neck makes him stop in his track. He carefully touches the painful area, only to feel a sting on his finger. There's something stuck under his skin, and he can't take it out.

 

It's fine. He'll get used to it.

 

He flicks his tail, rapidly moving toward the ridiculous nest he made in the only place he could hide it from people, anxiety settled in the pit of his stomach.

 

When he finally gets there, his heart drops.

 

They're gone, again.

 

…

 

He doesn't know why he's feeling so anxious about this meeting. Well, he does know why. That it's his fault if Prompto was hurt. He didn't inject him correctly. He should've held him better. Hell, he should've asked Gladio to help him, but his friend was judging him so hard he got distracted. And for the love of Eos, he simply hates doing this, drugging the merman he cherishes so much.

 

Now Prompto has this goddamn needle stuck in his neck, preventing him from healing correctly. In addition to being extremely painful for the blond male, it got sore and swollen, it's just a matter of time before it gets infected now.

 

There's no way the aquarium loses its newest and best attraction. And there's no way Noctis loses Prompto.

 

They decided. The director made a phone call to the laboratory Prompto came from, asking for help from anyone experienced enough to get him rid of this. Because they have absolutely no clue how to do this, and they won't let Noctis try his luck. Not that he wants to.

 

And even if he wanted to, he couldn't. Because Prompto simply refuses to be approached by anyone, even him. He's been hiding in the plants the entire time – even if his colorful tail is so easy to spot – and wouldn't show up even when the prince calls for him and brings him food.

 

The empire accepted to send their 'best man' to Insomnia. That's what the director told the staff during the next meeting. But Noctis was there when he gave the call, and he remembers how amused the guy was, saying that he had dreamt of visiting Insomnia after so many years and that he'd be glad to see how the 'pretty boy' is doing.

 

…

 

It takes another day for the expert to arrive at the aquarium. They had to postpone the opening date because they simply can't show the merman like that.

 

Noctis finally managed to get Prompto to show up a little, but he keeps his distance, staying at the other side of the glass. He doesn't fear Prompto, but he's hurt and probably feeling like he's in danger. He can't risk being too close to him.

 

Noctis' hands are on the glass of the tank, inviting the merman to do the same, and Prompto is slowly moving closer when the prince hears footsteps behind him. He doesn't care – probably some staff bringing food for him – until the merman's eyes focus on the people entering the room. He can see the colors draining from his already pale skin, his pupils shrinking to the size of two barely visible dots, small fins flat on his head and the blond boy is gaping.

 

“Ah, and I thought I'd never see you again! You're as beautiful as I remembered.”

 

Noctis frowns and turns around to see who's talking. The director and another tall man, with maroon hair and unusual clothes are standing a few meters away. He's definitely the one who just talked, and he's ninety percent sure he wasn't talking to him but to the merman.

 

“Prince Noctis, this is the expert I talked to you about. Ardyn Izunia.”

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Please take a look at this fanart. I had the idea for this au for weeks, but this artist posting it motivated me to write it NOW :) http://paranoid-sketches.tumblr.com/post/161262512269/the-insomnian-aquarium-has-a-new-attraction-i
> 
> You can find me here: http://kupoxv.tumblr.com/


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